Quicker and Cheaper: Too Simple an NBN Election Promise?

How can you lose when your proposition is that you’ll offer the same thing, more or less, but spend less and deliver it that much quicker?

That’s the essence of the policy the Liberal party seem set to take to the next election. Even though they say the debate has revolved too much around the technology, their “quicker and cheaper” proposition is based on a technological solution: fibre to the node rather than fibre to the premises.

It’s harder to get answers to some of the more pertinent questions, such as “will the solution guarantee uniform speeds and pricing across the vast majority of the country?”
In this edition of CrossTalk Independent MP Rob Oakeshott says the will of the Nationals will stop the Liberals from backtracking on Labor’s uniform pricing promise. But could we see regional Australia hit with slower speeds than metropolitan voters? Again, it would be seen by many as a retrograde step.

I talk to Liberal MP Paul Fletcher about the intricacies of the Liberal NBN policy, particularly in relation to competition policy and funding models.

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ABOUT PHIL

Phil Dobbie is a broadcaster and writer, with a wealth of business experience behind him too. He was a partner in an ad agency, he's been the marketing head at various technology companies and ran the Australian operation of the British Tourist Authority.

But his real love is the creation of content - as a journalist for ZDNet and others. He likes to spend time behind the microphone, creating radio shows and podcasts - he's done thousands of them, for CBS, National Australia Bank, BBC and CommsDay.

He's available to present radio shows and produce podcasts. Or any other exciting projects that come along.